Magazine for safety razor blades



Aug. 13, w46. N. TESTI' l www MAGAZINE `Fon SAFETY mazen BLADES Filed Dec. 2:5, 1942 Patented Aug. 13, 1946 MAGAZINE FOR SAFETY RAZOR .BLADES Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass., assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, 'll/lass., a corporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1942., Serial No.V 469,896

This `invention consists in an improved magazine -for containing thin flexible safety razor blades in a novel stacked Aformation with the 'blades spaced at one end of the stack by interleaved shims or extension pieces thus facilitating the separation from the stack of one blade at a time and its delivery from the magazine.

The problem of positively and accurately separating one thin blade after another from a stack and delivering it in pre-determined position to a safety razor or other destination has engaged the skill and resources of blade manufacturers and distributors for many years. This is because of the fact that safety razor blades are usually not overr.007" in-thickness and sometimes as thin as .004. The slight thickness of such individual blades when superposed in direct contact does not afford an adequate abutment for engagement by a blade feeder. It is extremely diicult, therefore, with any assurance of accuracy to separate a single blade at a time from a stack of blades and to avoid serious danger of jamming by inadvertently moving two blades at a time into the blade exit opening of the magazine.

In my prior application, Ser. No. 331,847, I provided spacing between the individual blades of a stack by staggering the blades longitudinally and thus substantially double the available space in which the blade feeder is to work. In the magazine of that prior application, however, the organization is such that the blades must `be delivered alternately from opposite ends of the magazine. An object oi" the present invention accordingly is to provide a magazine wherein the blades may be adequately spaced at their engaged ends but discharged always from the same end of the magazine. To this end an important feature of the invention consists in a magazine having a stack of blades, the individual blades of which are separated at one end only 'by a series of shims or spacers. As herein shown these shims or spacers have in addition to their spacing function the additional function of shields, acting to prevent the feeder from advancing any' individual blades until the spacer above it vhas been removedfrom its position in the stack. As herein sho-wn this is eiected by movement of the 'feeder into its initial position with respect tothe blade to be ejected. Accordingly it is vimpossible to pick up a second blade for delivery until .the preceding blade has been substantially ejected and the feeder moved the full distance to its initial position in the feeding stroke. An important advantage of this construction is that the 5,'

individual blades may .be separated by any 1desired amount corresponding to the thickness of the spacer pieces, the spacing not being limited to merely a blade thickness.

'These `and other features of the invention will 13 Claims.V (C1. 20S- 16) be best understood and appreciated `from Athe `following description of 'a preferred embodiment vthereof Yselected Afor purposes of illustration-and shown 'in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of my improved Amagazine shown as containing a stack of live slotted blades; Y

Fig. 2 is a Aview in cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 3 showing four blades in the magazine; y s

Fig. 3 is a view ofthe magazine in longitudinal section on an enlarged scale;

projectir'ins of the razor with which it is Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are full-sized views in longitudinal section showing different steps in the cycle of operations; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded view in perspective showing the empty magazine and a blade enclosed at one end by a pair of shims.

'In the illustrated embodiment the magazine is shown as including'in its structure a rectangular Abase plate l0 which may be of metal or moulded of plastic material and from which projects an upright blade-locating rib Ail formed integral `with the base plate or' attached thereto. A

cylindrical stud l2 is set in the base plate in spaced relation from one end of the rib l l. It is shouldered so that its upper end provides a short rib aligned `with the rib il. The stud has the function of carrying the loose shims as Well as `forming an abutment for the solid ends of the blades in -`the stack as will presently appear.

'The magazine herein shown is designed to handle slotted safety razor blades of the wellknown Gillette Fig. f?. The blade i3 is provided with a long symmetrically disposed slot ill widened in local areas to receive the particular blade-locating designed for use. 'The blade is recessed in each of its corners and thus provided at both ends with solid elongated unsharpened end portions. The blades I3 maybe held in superposed stack formation bythe rib Il, being freely movable thereon and they are at all times yieldingly pressed upwardly by a bowed spring i5 which is forked "and so adapted vto be pushed into place 'between the blade stack and the base plate i6 when the magazine has been loaded.

The individualblades 'i3 are separated atoneV type, shown for example, inl

plate ID and to be held in place thereon by tongues of sheet metal which are struck out of the bottom of the casingas shown in Fig. 3. The `upper wall of the casing is formed by inturned flanges 2l and 22 which are spaced apart at their inner edges so as fully to expose the rib H and the centra1 portion of the uppermost blade I3 in the blade stack. As already intimated the stack is lifted by the spring `I6 so that the outer or upper face of the uppermost blade I3 bears against the inner faces of the flanges 2I and 22.

The blade-feeding device herein shown is a slidev 24 and is shaped to make an interlocking sliding fit with the inner edges of the spaced.A

flanges 2| and 22. The body of the slide occupies the space between these flanges. It extends inside the casing 23 and into the plane of the uppermost blade and is arched,'as shown in Fig. 2, to clear the top of the stud I2. The body of the feed slide is shouldered beneath the flanges 2I and 22 of the casing and thus provided with a contact surface for engaging the end of the blade I3, or the end of the shim I whichever is uppermost in the stack. For example, in Fig. 3 the feed slide 24 has completed its movement toward the left and has just ejected a shim. Now, when it is moved toward the right it will advance the topmost blade I3 toward the right and deliver it vfrom the right-hand end of the magazine. Each of the flanges 2l and 22 is provided with a turned up ear 23 at each end to limit the feeding movement of the slide 24.

As already intimated the blades of the stack yare assembled on the blade-locating rib II with their solid ends in substantial contact with the stud I2, the ends being interposed between the stud and the left end of the rib II as shown in Fig. 3. The anges 2I and 22 of the casing denne a blade exit opening at each end of the magazine and as shown, in Fig. 3. The forward solid ends of the blades I3 are held in face-to-face contact at the right hand end of the magazine by the action of the spring I6. At their rear ends, however, the blades I3 are separated and interleaved with the shims I5, these being threaded upon the stud I2 and extending forwardly upon opposite sides of the blade for perhaps oneeighthof its length. The effect of these shims is to space or separate therear ends of the individual blades by the thickness of the shims.

The' operation of my improved magazine will be apparent from consideration of Figs. 3-6. In Figs. 3 and 4 the feeder is` shown as in its initial position at the left end of the magazine, bridging the stud I2 and extending behind the solid rear end of the uppermost blade in the stack.

VThelowermost or inner horizontal face of the feed slide engages the surface of the shim I5 lying beneath the end of the uppermost blade and depresses it and the three blades in the stack shown as located beneath it. When now the feeder is moved toward the right the uppermost blade in the stack is advanced positively toward the right by the front vertical face of the feed slide and out through the exit opening of the magazine by endwise movement. As soon as the feeder has moved a substantial distance toward the right the shim I5 which was formerly beneath it is moved upwardly with the blade stack by the spring I6 into yielding contact with the flanges 2l and 22 of the casing, that is, it occupies substantially the position which has just been vacated by the rear end of the preceding blade, Fig. 5 illustrates the magazine with the shim in this position and with the preceding blade substantially ejected. In its upward movement the shim is carried into a position in which it clears the cylindrical portion of the stud I2 but is still controlled in its movement by the rib formed in the upper end of the stud. As the feeder 24 is now moved toward the left it encounters the open end of the shim I5 and ejects it at the left end of the magazine as shown in Fig. 6. The ejection of the shim of course immediately releases the second blade in the stack so that it is elevated into contact with the flanges 2| and 22 (with a second shim beneath its end) in readiness to be ejected from the right-hand end of the magazine by the next movement of the feeder toward the right.

Movement of the feed slide 24 toward the left as shown in Figs. 3-6 is terminated by engagement of the slide with the tongues 23 in a position wherein the lower face of the slide engages the shim which has just been uncovered, that is to say, the shim which is located beneath the blade now uppermost in the stack. The feed slide depresses or holds down this shim and the' blades beneath it and at the same time the forward edge of the slide clears the end of the uppermost blade and lies in position to abut against its lefthand end. Each shim thus constitutes in effect a temporary extension of the blade underlying it and a shield or deflector preventing engagement of the slide with the rear end of that blade until the shim has itself been removed `and ejected by movement of the slide to its extreme left-hand position as suggested in Fig. 6. The thickness of the shim is, therefore, optional, It may conveniently be of the same thickness as the blades, or it may be somewhat thinner since in the illustrated construction the Vthickness of the feeder insures the adequate separation of the uppermost blade from those beneath it, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. s

From the foregoing description it willbe understood that as the feed slide is reciprocated a shim is ejected in each full movement toward the left and a blade is ejected in each full movement of the slide toward the right. The shims are all stripped from the post I2 and ejected at the lefthand end of the magazine whereas the blades I3 are all ejected from the right-hand end of the magazine. i

In filling the magazine the blades and shims maybe placed alternately on the rib II and the post I 2 respectively before the base plate IU is inserted in the casing 20. After these parts have been assembled the spring I6, which is forked, may be pushed into place beneath the stack. It will be noted that the upper edge of the rib II is curved or bevelled at its ends in order to prevent catching of the uppermost blade thereon when it is advanced by the feeder. I

Having thus disclosed my invention and described a preferred embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A magazine for safety razor blades including in its structure a casing having a blade-exit opening at Vone end, means movably retaining a stack of blades in the casing, a blade feeder movable in the casing to engage and advance by endwise movement the uppermost blade of the stack, a 'stack of slotted shims interleaved between individual blades at one end only of the stack, and means in said casing for holding said shims positively against movement in the direction in which the blades are ejected but permitting movement thereof in the opposite direction.

2. A magazine for safety razor blades, including in its structure a casing, means therein holding a stack of perforated blades in vertical registration at both ends, shims interleaved between the blades of the stack at one end only, a feed slide guided for movement adjacent to the stack in the casing, and spring means for moving rst a blade and then a shim into position to be engaged and ejected in opposite directions by the feeder.

3. A magazine for safety razor blades, including in its structure a casing having means therein holding a stack of perforated blades in vertical registration at both ends, shims interleaved between the blades at one end only of the stack and extending outwardly from the body of the stack, each as a longitudinal extension of an underlying blade, a feeder movable in the casing in contact afternately with the uppermost blade or shim in the stack, and a spring urging the stack always upwardly.

4. A magazine for safety razor blade-s including in its structure an elongated casing having therein means holding a stack of perforated blades and a blade exit at one end, together with a post, a stack of shims threaded upon the post and interleaved between the blades at one end only of the stack, and a blade-feeder mounted for longitudinal movement in the casing and having a face for engaging and advancing one blade after another from the stack.

5. A magazine for safety razor blades, having in combination, a casing provided with a projection for` holding a stack of blades in vertical alignment therein, a spring for urging the stack toward the top of the casing, a feeder slide mounted for movement in the said casing above the blade stack and having a fiat blade-depressing face and a vertical blade-feeding edge, slotted shims interleaved between all of the individual blades at one end of the stack, and a post for holding the shims positively against inward movement, the feed slide traversing and depressing one of the shims and the underlying blade with its at face while advancing the uppermost blade by its vertical edge.

6. A magazine for safety razor blades including in its structure an elongated casing having therein a projection holding a stack of perforated blades in vertical alignment, a second projection holding a series of slotted shims ywhich are substantially shorter than the blades and have their slotted ends pushed in between alternate blades of the stack, and a feeder movable in the casing first to back out the uppermost shim of the series by endwise movement and then to advance the blade next beneath that shim.

7. A magazine for safety razor blades, having in combination, an elongated casing, means within the casing holding a stack of blades, separate means within the casing holding a stack of shims which are substantially shorter than the blades and are arranged in alternation with the said blades at one end of the stack, and cooperating means movable in the casing for removing blades and shims alternately by endwise movement from their stacked arrangement.

8. A magazine for safety razor blades, having in combination, an elongated casing provided with exit openings at both ends, a rib within the casing holding a stack of slotted blades, a stud within the casing disposed adjacent to one end of the rib, a stack of open-end shims interleaved with the blades, covering a portion only of the adjacent blades and held by said stud with their open ends straddling the blade-locating rib, and means movable longitudinally in said casing for ejecting first a shim at one end of the casing and then a blade at the other end thereof.

9. A magazine for safety razor blades, comprising a base plate provided with a blade-locating projection having a stack of apertured blades thereon, a shim-retaining projection with a 'stack of shims thereon which are interleaved with the blades at one end only of the blade stack, a casing enclosing the said parts and having a blade exit opening at one end, and a feeder movable on the casing and shaped to engage the blades and shims alternately as the feeder is moved in opposite directions and to displace them by endwise movement.

10. A magazine for rafety razor blades comprising a casing having therein separate means holding respectively a stack of perforated blades and a stack of slotted shims, the shims being interleaved between the blades at one end only of the stack, thereby spacing the ends of adjacent blades from each other, the shim-holding means being shaped to prevent inward movement of the shims, and a feeder movable in the casing for removing the shims one by one by endwise movement in an outward direction.

11. A magazine for safety razor blades including in its structure an elongated casing having therein means holding a stack of perforated blades and a blade exit opening at one end, together with a plurality of thin open-end shields projecting outwardly from one end of the stacx in alternative relation to the blades and overlapping only a portion of the adjacent blades, thereby separating the individual blades at one end, a spring acting on the blades to hold them in contact with each other at the other end of the stack, and a blade feeder movable in said casing from an initial position in contact with one of the shields to engage and advance by endwise movement a blade overlapping the inner end of said shield.

12. A magazine for safety razor blades, having, in combination, a casing, means therein holding a stack of perforated blades in vertical alignment, open-end shims separating the blades, one from the other, at one end of the stack only and overlapping a portion only of the adjacent blades, spring means tending to elevate the stack above the holding means and causing the blades to contact with each other at the other end of the stack, and a feeder on said casing movable into engagement with the separated end of one blade after another.

13. A magazine for safety razor blades, having in combination, a casing, means therein holding a stack of blades in vertical alignment, thin sheet metal shields overlying a portion only of the adjacent blades alternating with the blade-s at one end of the stack and uniformly separating their ends, the said shields extending outwardly beyond the end of the blade stack, a spring tending to elevate the blade stack, and a feeder operating in the casing and movable longitudinally above the stack rst in face-to-face contact with a shield and then in face-to-face contact with the blade underlying the said shield.

NICHOLAS TESTI. 

